Revamping education in Oyo State The efforts being made by the Oyo State government to revamp education is yielding good fruits. Governor Abiola Ajimobi recently travelled abroad accompanied by the former Head of Service of the federation, Professor Oladapo Afolabi, Commissioners for Education and Finance, Mrs Adetokunbo Fayokun and Mr Zaccheus Adelabu respectively and the Chairman Committee on Education, Hon. Ajanaku, in the State House of Assembly. Their mission was the historical signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the state government and Texas State University for the establishment of the Oyo State Technical University. Governor Ajimobi signed on behalf of Oyo State while Mr Kent Hence, the Vice - Chancellor of Texas University and Ambassador Thor Naggy, were on hand to witness the memorable occasion. The proposed Oyo State Technical University is a laudable one. This worthy initiative by the Ajimobi administration has received commendations from various segments of the society, especially stakeholders in education. One of the advantages of the university is that it will boost manpower development in Oyo State and the nation at large. The law establishing the institution, according to Dr Festus Adedayo, the governor’s spokesman, will soon be gazetted while the Chancellor of the University is the former Head of Service Prof. Oladapo Afolabi. The university will be a national and global institution that will not only be of sound academic standard but also fully grounded in entrepreneurial practice based on fundamental theories and commitment to international best practices. Dr Adedayo said that the overriding focus of the new university is to provide conductive training and learning environment that will provide quality product who are technically and socially grounded in their courses of study. Prior to the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding, the state government had announced the formal take-off of the university with the seed grant of N250 million and the constitution of management implementation committee of the University. Dr. Adedayo said that the formal take- off of the university had been approved by the executive council while the university is proposed to have two satellite campuses in the two senatorial districts of the State. In addition to the establishment of the new university, Oyo state government is not relenting in its efforts in complementing the existing higher institutions and in providing qualitative education at all levels. The House of Assembly had passed the bills establishing polytechnics in Ibarapa, Eruwa and Oke – Ogun The Ajimobi administration had earlier reiterated its decision to transform the education sector. According to the governor, “Education is the bedrock of meaningful development, in any society.’’ As part of the state’s determination to transform the education sector, the government approved a training workshop for teaching and non-teaching staff of Oyo State post Primary School Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM). The workshop was to boost the work capacity of teachers in public secondary schools in order to move the education sector forward. Subjects that will be taught at the workshop include General Teaching Method, Effective Teaching of English Language, School management skill for principals and others across the six geo-political zones of the state for the 2012/2013 academic session. Other efforts of the state Government to develop education were the disbursement of bursary and scholarship awards to its students in tertiary institutions. The disbursement ceremony, which was organised by the state scholarship board last May, was to encourage the students in their various courses of study. A total of 2,150 students benefited from the scholarship and bursary awards. The Oyo State scholarship board which had been moribund since 1983 was resuscitated in 2008 and is now supervised by the Ministry of Education while a sum of N7 Million Naira was also approved and released for the renovation of office accommodation by the government. Pupils and students in various schools have also been provided with furniture as well as distribution of free 80 leaves notebook in core subjects and instructional materials to both primary and secondary school across the state by Oyo State Government. Other achievements include the reduction in the fees of tertiary institutions and 100 per cent partnership with University of Ibadan on school monitoring and quality assurance. Rehabilitation of 497 primary and secondary schools in the state, restored payment of running grants to both primary and secondary schools, payment of West African School Certificate Examination (WASCE) fees for students and the recruitment of education officers and 3,000 teachers to fill vacancies in schools. Extramural classes have been organised for final-year students. Oyo State, according to reports, had moved from its 34th position in 2011 to 24th position in the WASCE .The accreditation of the Higher National Diploma in Oyo College of Agriculture and the Polytechnic, Ibadan had also been approved by the government to enhance the standard of education in Oyo State.
Posted on: Thu, 29 Aug 2013 11:28:21 +0000
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